Netanyahu Claims ‘Witch Hunt’ by Israeli Media
Numerous reports have alleged that the prime minister's staff has been involved in criminal actions, particularly attempted blackmail. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Numerous reports have indicated that individuals within the Prime Minister’s Office may have engaged in illicit activities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the nation's media of conducting an “organized witch hunt” against his administration, as allegations of criminal behavior by his staff, including attempted blackmail and data tampering, have surfaced.
In a statement on Sunday, Netanyahu characterized the reports as “fake news” and described them as a “wild and unrestrained attack” intended “to harm the country’s leadership… in the middle of war.”
His remarks came in response to a report from Israel’s national broadcaster Kan, which claimed that one of Netanyahu’s top aides had blackmailed an Israel Defense Forces officer to gain access to sensitive documents.
As reported by Kan News, Tzachi Braverman, Netanyahu’s chief of staff, allegedly used confidential personal information about a senior officer from the Military Secretariat to coerce him into providing minutes from meetings corresponding to the early phase of the Gaza war, stored within the secretariat, with the alleged intention to manipulate them. Braverman has strongly denied these claims.
The potential alteration of the minutes is currently being investigated by the police, focusing on classified discussions between Netanyahu and his former military secretary, Avi Gil, since the outbreak of the latest Gaza war in October 2023.
Additionally, a third case has led to several arrests, including that of a former spokesperson for Netanyahu, related to an alleged leak of sensitive intelligence from the Prime Minister’s Office to foreign media, which could have jeopardized national security.
As reported by the daily newspaper Haaretz, the three investigations and the allegations against Netanyahu’s staff “ostensibly point to a pattern of attempted manipulation in order to create a narrative that serves the prime minister.”
Currently, there is no direct evidence connecting Netanyahu to any of the three investigations, according to the report. Meanwhile, his legal team has been attempting to postpone his testimony in the ongoing corruption case.
Reports from Israeli media indicate that lawyers have requested the Jerusalem District Court to defer Netanyahu’s court appearance, initially set for early December, by two and a half months, arguing that recent security incidents have made it “impossible” for him to adequately prepare for his testimony.
Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust across three separate cases filed in 2019. The trial commenced in May 2020 but has seen delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and, more recently, ongoing hostilities with Hamas in Gaza.
Throughout this process, Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the indictments are part of a politically motivated effort to remove him from power.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the nation's media of conducting an “organized witch hunt” against his administration, as allegations of criminal behavior by his staff, including attempted blackmail and data tampering, have surfaced.
In a statement on Sunday, Netanyahu characterized the reports as “fake news” and described them as a “wild and unrestrained attack” intended “to harm the country’s leadership… in the middle of war.”
His remarks came in response to a report from Israel’s national broadcaster Kan, which claimed that one of Netanyahu’s top aides had blackmailed an Israel Defense Forces officer to gain access to sensitive documents.
As reported by Kan News, Tzachi Braverman, Netanyahu’s chief of staff, allegedly used confidential personal information about a senior officer from the Military Secretariat to coerce him into providing minutes from meetings corresponding to the early phase of the Gaza war, stored within the secretariat, with the alleged intention to manipulate them. Braverman has strongly denied these claims.
The potential alteration of the minutes is currently being investigated by the police, focusing on classified discussions between Netanyahu and his former military secretary, Avi Gil, since the outbreak of the latest Gaza war in October 2023.
Additionally, a third case has led to several arrests, including that of a former spokesperson for Netanyahu, related to an alleged leak of sensitive intelligence from the Prime Minister’s Office to foreign media, which could have jeopardized national security.
As reported by the daily newspaper Haaretz, the three investigations and the allegations against Netanyahu’s staff “ostensibly point to a pattern of attempted manipulation in order to create a narrative that serves the prime minister.”
Currently, there is no direct evidence connecting Netanyahu to any of the three investigations, according to the report. Meanwhile, his legal team has been attempting to postpone his testimony in the ongoing corruption case.
Reports from Israeli media indicate that lawyers have requested the Jerusalem District Court to defer Netanyahu’s court appearance, initially set for early December, by two and a half months, arguing that recent security incidents have made it “impossible” for him to adequately prepare for his testimony.
Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust across three separate cases filed in 2019. The trial commenced in May 2020 but has seen delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and, more recently, ongoing hostilities with Hamas in Gaza.
Throughout this process, Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the indictments are part of a politically motivated effort to remove him from power.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
